Mint Julep Cupcakes Food

MINT JULEP CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F, and line cupcake cups.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, & salt. Set aside.
• In the mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are combined, add the extracts. Slowly add in half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour. Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together.
• Divide evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.
• For the frosting: Whip the butter & shortening using the whisk attachment (if available). Slowly add in half the powdered sugar. Add in the extracts & bourbon. Add the rest of the powdered sugar. Then slowly add in milk until frosting reaches desired consistancy.
• Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and top with mint leaves and green sprinkles (optional, for decoration!).

MINT JULEP CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the vanilla-bourbon cupcakes: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife, and scrape down the length with the back of the knife to remove the seeds. Add the seeds and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Slowly add the butter, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. While continuing to beat, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the bourbon, and reduce the mixer speed to medium-low (the mixture will look curdled, but that's OK). Beating after each addition until just combined, add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 the milk, 1/2 the remaining flour mixture, the remaining milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly among the liners in the prepared tin. Clean the mixer bowl and paddle attachment.
• Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. While they are still warm, brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon if desired. Transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
• For the minty frosting: Mix the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until the sugar has been incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the liqueur and peppermint extract, and mix on medium-high until smooth. Add the half-and-half, and beat until incorporated. Refrigerate the frosting for about 15 minutes to firm up.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip or a plastic bag with a tip cut off, using all the frosting. Decorate with mint sprigs and sanding sugar.

MINT JULEP

Steps:

• Shake the bourbon, mint leaves and sugar syrup with ice and strain into a highball glass or julep tin filled with crushed ice. Churn gently with a long-handled spoon and top with more crushed ice. Garnish and serve.

MINT JULEPS

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves
• Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person's sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Trim straws to just barely protrude from the top of the cups. Serve juleps on a silver platter.

KENTUCKY MINT JULEP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
• Add wet ingredients to flour mixture& beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for 3 more minutes; pour into prepared pan and smooth evenly around bundt center.
• Bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; ten minutes before cake should be done, prepare Bourbon Butter Sauce.
• For the sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup butter, and 3 tablespoons water; stir until melted and combined but do not boil.
• Remove from heat, continuing to stir for 2 minutes, then stir in Bourbon.
• When cake is done and still warm from the oven, use a skewer to poke holes around the top of the cake and pour Bourbon butter sauce evenly over the top of the cake; let cake cool to room temperature in the pan before removing.
• For the frosting, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted.
• Remove from heat and stir in creme de menthe liqueur (or mint extract); let cool for 10 minutes, then spread evenly over the cooled cake.
• Garnish with fresh mint leaves; I am also using white chocolate curls.
• Chill to set chocolate ganache; take cake out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cutting to serve.